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Will Patton

Will Patton

Highest Rated: 100% The Scent of Rain & Lightning (2017)

Lowest Rated: 0% Radioflash (2019)

Birthday: Jun 14, 1954

Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina, USA

William Rankin Patton was born June 14, 1954 in Charleston, SC, the eldest of four children to a Lutheran Minister father. Patton - whose parents divorced when he was a teen - was painfully shy in adolescence, and turned to performance as a way to interact and relate to others. After graduation from high school, Patton attended the North Carolina School for the Arts for just under one year until he was expelled for behavioral issues, and then traveled for a time before training with Lee Strasberg at the esteemed Actors Studio. Like any struggling actor, Patton held many jobs while he honed his craft, such as a construction worker, salesman, security guard and elevator attendant. He began also to study under Joseph Chaikin at Open Theater in New York City; it was a joint work with Chaikin's experimental group, The Winter Project, called "Tourists and Refugees No. 2" that would see Patton win his first Obie for Best Ensemble. This era also marked his introduction to television in the telefilm chronicling the historic campus demonstration shootings in "Kent State" (NBC 1981), as well as a bit on film in Mike Nichols' epic "Silkwood" (1983). In 1984 Patton repeated his Obie victory, this time as Best Actor for his work in playwright Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love." Patton's first film lead came in the crime thriller "Chinese Boxes" (1984), followed by a villainous turn in Susan Seidelman's "Desperately Seeking Susan" (1985), and in Martin Scorsese's "After Hours" (1985), as the leather clad gent, Horst. Patton's breakout role was his supporting lead in the taut government thriller "No Way Out" (1987), as the shady, obsessive aide to the Secretary of Defense (Gene Hackman) who stops at nothing to protect his boss. He picked up his third Obie, this for Best Actor, for the 1988-89 production of "What Did He See?" Patton also appeared in the apocalyptic drama "The Rapture" (1991), the quirky and clever Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner "In the Soup" (1992) as Seymour Cassel's hemophiliac brother, and then the much talked about crime thriller "Romeo is Bleeding" (1993). After a sinister turn in "The Client" (1994) opposite Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones, Patton did more fine work as Ellen Burstyn's nephew in the 1996 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner "The Spitfire Grill" (1996), a dramatic tale of a troubled young girl's attempt to start her life over in a new small town. Patton was the protective patriarch of three beautiful daughters in "Inventing the Abbotts" (1997), and had his biggest box office adventure with the disaster film "Armageddon" (1998) as Bruce Willis' best buddy who, along with a brave crew, are set on saving Earth at all costs. In 1999, Patton published a short book called Lassitudes of Fire, an abstract homage to the actor's pain filled journey through life. On screen, Patton appeared in the crime thriller "Entrapment" (1999), indie favorite "Jesus' Son" (2000) and box office draw "Gone in Sixty Seconds" (2000) as Atlee Jackson, who recruits Nicholas Cage back into the game. Some of Patton's largest praise came from his portrayal of demoted-but-unified Coach Bill Yoast in the hugely successful sports drama "Remember the Titans" (2000), starring opposite Denzel Washington. After a high strung appearance in "The Mothman Prophecies" (2002), Patton checked into "The Agency" (CBS 2001-03) as an intelligence gatherer within the walls of the CIA, and was also noted as an American Special Agent in the real-life drama "A Mighty Heart" (2007), opposite Angelina Jolie. As a model-maker who drifts into a small town with an agenda in mind, Patton starred in the little seen independent gem "Dog Days of Summer" (2007), as well as another remote town story in the film festival favorite "Wendy and Lucy" (2008). Patton was also part of a well reviewed ensemble with Alfre Woodard in "American Violet" (2008), the story of a wrongly accused woman, which featured the actor as a lawyer with a conscience. In the police crime-action drama "Brooklyn's Finest" (2009), Patton dons his familiar Fed-in-a-suit role, with a powerful cast including Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle. Patton moved back to television in 2009 when he joined the cast of "24" (Fox 2001-2010) as the villainous Alan Wilson, chief backer of Starkwood, who is responsible for many deaths. Patton was an aggressive non-believer in the paranormal thriller "The Fourth Kind" (2009) opposite Milla Jovovich, and also joined the Disassociate Identity disorder drama "Waking Madison" (2010). Patton also rejoined director Reichardt for her exploration of America's Western landscapes in "Meek's Cutoff" (2010). The film, set in 1845, followed a wagon team's effort to survive the harsh elements.

Highest rated movies

100% 82% The Scent of Rain & Lightning 98% 87% Minari
96% 54% Blood on Her Name
92% 72% No Way Out
90% 45% Sweet Thing
86% 82% Megan Leavey
86% 53% Meek's Cutoff
86% 67% Wendy and Lucy

Filmography

Movies

Credit
51% 70% Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 Owen Kittredge (Character) $29.0M 2024
36% No Score Yet Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 Owen Kittredge (Character) - 2024
85% 45% Janet Planet Wayne (Character) $258.0K 2023
40% 57% Halloween Ends Deputy Frank Hawkins (Character) $64.0M 2022
39% 66% Halloween Kills Deputy Frank Hawkins (Character) $92.0M 2021
49% 78% The Forever Purge Caleb Tucker (Character) $44.5M 2021
15% 16% The Devil Below Schuttmann (Character) - 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Safe Francis (Character) - 2021
90% 45% Sweet Thing Adam (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2020
98% 87% Minari Paul (Character) $700.0K 2020
80% 64% Hammer Stephen Davis (Character) - 2019
96% 54% Blood on Her Name Richard Tiller (Character) - 2019
0% 43% Radioflash Frank (Character) - 2019
79% 72% Halloween Officer Hawkins (Character) $159.5M 2018
33% 61% Boarding School Dr. Sherman (Character) - 2018
33% 72% An Actor Prepares Wisdom (Character) - 2018
100% 82% The Scent of Rain & Lightning Senior (Character) - 2017
86% 82% Megan Leavey Jim (Character) $13.4M 2017
35% 46% The November Man Perry Weinstein (Character) $25.0M 2014
42% No Score Yet Abigail Harm The Visitor (Character) - 2012
53% 44% The Girl Tommy (Character) $34.2K 2012
No Score Yet 43% Waking Madison Mr. Walker (Character) - 2010
86% 53% Meek's Cutoff Solomon Tetherow (Character) $977.6K 2010
10% 35% Knucklehead Vic Sullivan (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet mindFLUX Unknown (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet Looking at Animals Raymond (Character) - 2009
21% 46% Princess Kaiulani Sanford B. Dole (Character) $883.9K 2009
44% 46% Brooklyn's Finest Bill (Character) $27.2M 2009
29% 32% The Canyon Henry (Character) $1.8K 2009
18% 41% The Fourth Kind Sheriff August (Character) $25.5M 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lucky Days J.C. (Character) - 2008
27% 40% The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond Old Man Dobyne (Character) $119.4K 2008
No Score Yet 44% Dog Days of Summer Eli Cottonmouth (Character) - 2008
75% 79% American Violet Sam Conroy (Character) $552.9K 2008
86% 67% Wendy and Lucy Mechanic (Character) $856.9K 2008
No Score Yet 25% The List Michael Harriston (Character) $132.9K 2007
79% 70% A Mighty Heart Randall Bennett (Character) $9.2M 2007
4% 38% Code Name: The Cleaner Riley (Character) $8.1M 2007
No Score Yet 33% Road House 2 Nate Tanner (Character) - 2006
No Score Yet 64% Family Sins Philip Rothman (Character) - 2004
29% 63% The Punisher Quentin Glass (Character) $33.7M 2004
No Score Yet 59% The Last Ride Aaron Purnell (Character) - 2004
52% 56% The Mothman Prophecies Gordon Smallwood (Character) $35.2M 2002
71% 93% Remember the Titans Coach Yoast (Character) $115.8M 2000
26% 77% Gone in Sixty Seconds Atley Jackson (Character) $101.6M 2000
28% 23% Trixie Red Rafferty (Character) $294.9K 2000
79% 83% Jesus' Son John Smith (Character) $1.3M 1999
40% 50% Entrapment Hector Cruz (Character) $87.7M 1999
24% 31% Breakfast of Champions Moe the Truck Driver (Character) $175.4K 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet O.K. Garage Sean (Character) - 1998
43% 73% Armageddon Charles "Chick" Chapple (Character) $201.6M 1998
27% 48% I Woke Up Early the Day I Died Preacher (Character) $863 1998
14% 51% The Postman Gen. Bethlehem (Character) $17.6M 1997
36% 51% Inventing the Abbotts Lloyd Abbott (Character) $5.9M 1997
18% 23% Fled Gibson (Character) $17.2M 1996
38% 76% The Spitfire Grill Nahum Goddard (Character) $12.6M 1996
76% 64% Copycat Nicoletti (Character) $31.3M 1995
26% 33% The Puppet Masters Dr. Graves (Character) $8.6M 1994
80% 68% The Client Sergeant Hardy (Character) $90.8M 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Natural Causes Michael Murphy (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet 70% Judicial Consent Alan Warwick (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet 36% Tollbooth Dash Pepper (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet My Love, Your Honor Alan Warwick (Character) - 1994
27% 61% Romeo Is Bleeding Martie (Character) $3.3M 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Taking the Heat Hadley (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Midnight Edition Jack Travers (Character) - 1993
60% 19% Cold Heaven Father Niles (Character) $17.2K 1992
85% 76% In the Soup Skippy (Character) $13.9K 1992
No Score Yet 27% In the Deep Woods Eric Gaines (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Paint Job Wesley (Character) - 1992
65% 62% The Rapture Deputy Foster (Character) $1.3M 1991
No Score Yet 33% Dillinger Melvin Purvis (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Deadly Desire Giles Menteer (Character) - 1991
13% 35% Everybody Wins Jerry (Character) $978.9K 1990
71% 61% A Shock to the System Lt. Laker (Character) $2.0M 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wildfire Mike (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet 42% Stars and Bars Duane Gage (Character) $14.9K 1988
No Score Yet 61% A Gathering of Old Men Lou Dimes (Character) - 1987
92% 72% No Way Out Scott Pritchard (Character) $31.7M 1987
64% 69% Belizaire the Cajun Matthew Perry (Character) - 1986
86% 62% Desperately Seeking Susan Wayne Nolan (Character) $24.4M 1985
No Score Yet 79% The Beniker Gang Forest Ranger (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chinese Boxes Lang Marsh (Character) - 1984
No Score Yet 24% Variety Mark (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet King Blank Bar Customer (Character) - 1983

TV

Credit
84% 77% Yellowstone Garrett Randle (Character) 2022-2023
92% 73% Swamp Thing Avery Sunderland (Character) 2019
84% 95% Shots Fired Sheriff Platt (Character) 2017
93% 91% The Good Wife Mike Tascioni (Guest Star) 2016
79% 70% Falling Skies Captain Weaver (Character) 2011-2015
No Score Yet 80% CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Unknown (Guest Star) 2010
87% 87% 24 Alan Wilson (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet 93% Numb3ers Lt. Gary Walker (Guest Star) 2006-2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Agency Jackson Haisley (Character) 2001-2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Equalizer Officer Nick Braxton (Guest Star) 1985